Last week we embarked on the second of our public speaking engagements in the run up to this year's pop-up shop. After the success of our first event at #HATstock, we were growing in confidence. However, as this was to be a new talk, a demonstration no less, we weren't going to rest on our laurels!
We were invited by WI on Ecclesall Road to give a demonstration of millinery techniques and as our aim this Spring is to meet as many women as possible, it was an honour to accept. Afterall, if you want to meet lots of ladies, where do you go? The Women's Institute of course!
There may also have been the promise of cake. Yes, we are that easily swayed!
There may also have been the promise of cake. Yes, we are that easily swayed!
Our talk covered a short introduction to who we are and why we work together as The Hat Stand, along with the obligatory invitation to visit the shop at the Winter Garden when we open in June. Then it was time to get down to business.
We wanted to show that whilst you can invest a lot of money in specialist equipment, it is possible to create some very effective designs with nothing more than an iron, some pins, a pair of scissors and rolling pin.
We guided our audience through working with the key materials of felt, straw, and sinamay with a brief introduction to buckram. We showed not only with how we use a wooden block to form a basic hat shape, but also the techniques used to trim them.
We wanted to show that whilst you can invest a lot of money in specialist equipment, it is possible to create some very effective designs with nothing more than an iron, some pins, a pair of scissors and rolling pin.
We guided our audience through working with the key materials of felt, straw, and sinamay with a brief introduction to buckram. We showed not only with how we use a wooden block to form a basic hat shape, but also the techniques used to trim them.
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The other important thing for us to show was how all the different skills we have learnt over the years combine into our own styles and designs.
For this we each brought a few signature design pieces to bring these to life. We wanted to show how the basic techniques we were demonstrating would be used by each of us, but to create very different effects.
For this we each brought a few signature design pieces to bring these to life. We wanted to show how the basic techniques we were demonstrating would be used by each of us, but to create very different effects.
We ended the hour long demonstration with a few questions along with an impromptu lesson in how to measure your head to find your headsize. We also offered a few tips for how to make a high street shop hat fit. Particularly handy when the high street works on standard sizes!
We were delighted to be invited to sample some cake during the refreshment break after our session. No one does a Lemon Drizzle or Victoria Sponge as tasty as those from WI bakers!
A huge thank you to WI on Ecclesall Road for being delightful hosts and a very attentive audience. We're just sorry Sophie missed some of you off when she took our icebreaker audience shot...Apologies!
We were delighted to be invited to sample some cake during the refreshment break after our session. No one does a Lemon Drizzle or Victoria Sponge as tasty as those from WI bakers!
A huge thank you to WI on Ecclesall Road for being delightful hosts and a very attentive audience. We're just sorry Sophie missed some of you off when she took our icebreaker audience shot...Apologies!
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